I dislike it when people take one little cultural difference and try to use it to deduce all sorts of grand proclamations about the different cultures. Especially when it's trying to paint Japan as some sort of paradise country where everyone is considerate and "more adult" all the time. Of course there are cultural differences, but the garbage cans specifically were removed because of the Aum Shinrikyo attacks.
Garbage in Japan
41–47 of 47 posts
Re: Garbage in Japan
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
The fact that Japan still has so much single use plastic is really puzzling especially since it has a relatively small landmass so no much room for landfills.
They burn it :-)
That's surprising to me since they have one of the best average air quality scores of any country (that's avaiable with gmaps).
Re: Garbage in Japan
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
In my recent experience it's very rare to find anything other than recycling bins next to vending machines in Japan. Buying a snack really is a big commitment, which is unfortunate because of how tasty they are.
That said the inverse problem in the USA is that there are practically no public toilets and if you find one it’s probably disgusting. I find that a much bigger inconvenience than needing to carry some garbage around!
Absolutely. I'd much prefer to carry around my trash rather than have toilet anxiety in a heartbeat.
The end result is in North America I tend to just urinate in a back alley because I'm fed up trying to find an appropriate place.
Re: Garbage in Japan
#44The irony is that products in Japan come with so much garbage . Small items come packed in thick, crinkly plastic that doesn’t hold any form once it has been emptied of its product. Bento boxes are several times thicker than the packaging for ready-to-eat meals in other countries, and they don’t compress at all. When I’m touristing, I rely on the ability to shed load and make space for other things so I don’t have to…
Weird, interacting with Japan mostly only through video games (and only a limited amount with food) I actually find them almost the opposite most of the time. Import games arrive in tiny boxes with almost no packaging and manuals that have been design like origami inserts to take up only the tiny remaining space available.
Games are not a daily driver compared to a Bento box or most things you buy in Japan. It's actually a tad shocking to see the amount of waste you get from every day life in Japan.
When you do your garbage there's a box called "moeru" (burnable) and there is a crapload of plastic in there.
That said, Japanese packaging is also an art. Both can be true at the same time.
Re: Garbage in Japan
#45The last time I went to Japan, my Japanese friend told me that some of the Japaneses don't even leave trash in their hotel rooms when they travel (!)
Re: Garbage in Japan
#46I dislike it when people take one little cultural difference and try to use it to deduce all sorts of grand proclamations about the different cultures. Especially when it's trying to paint Japan as some sort of paradise country where everyone is considerate and "more adult" all the time. Of course there are cultural differences, but the garbage cans specifically were removed because of the Aum Shinrikyo attacks.
I also thought it was strange that the article didn't mention that the garbage cans were removed because of the sarin attacks, but the cultural point remains. Imagine if the government took away "muh public trash cans" across the USA.
Re: Garbage in Japan
#47Earlier quoted context omitted.
It's more than that. Kids are expected to clean their schools, even the bathrooms. Not surprisingly, this nurtures an attitude of not messing it up in the first place.
Tokyo is trashed before it's cleaned in the morning. Ever go out at 3am? Rats and trash everywhere. Squeaky clean by morning though, their cleaners are amazing. Lack of trash cans is because of sarin attacks, nothing else. So they just put the trash in the street.
That wasn't true in 1995, the last time I was out at 3AM in Tokyo. I wonder what has changed?